Abstract “At frequencies above 3 kHz, the tympanic membrane vibrates chaotically. By having many resonances, the eardrum can transmit the broadest possible bandwidth of sound with optimal sensitivity. In essence, the eardrum works best through discord. The eardrum’s success as an instrument of hearing can be directly explained through a combination of its shape, … Read more
“…the fundamental premise of tonal superiority has not yet been properly investigated.” http://www.pnas.org/search?fulltext=violi n&submit=yes&x=0&y=0 http://www.pnas.org/content/109/3/760.a bstract ABSTRACT Most violinists believe that instruments by Stradivari and Guarneri “del Gesu” are tonally superior to other violins–and to new violins in particular. Many mechanical and acoustical factors have been proposed to account for this superiority; however, the fundamental premise of … Read more
Sound quality (“SQ”) concerns the subjective psycho-acoustic perception of sounds and music. It’s something we all hear and enjoy differently. Join the journey. Sound quality refers to the perceived audio characteristics of a sound source, encompassing how clear, pleasing, accurate, or faithful the sound is to the original source or recording. It’s a … Read more
SOURCE Auditory perception of nonlinear distortion is a fascinating area within psychoacoustics, the branch of psychology concerned with the scientific study of hearing. Nonlinear distortion occurs when an audio system (such as speakers, amplifiers, or headphones) introduces harmonics that were not present in the original signal, often as a result of the system being … Read more
Abstract By classifying according to their mode of excitation, speechsounds can be broken into three distinct classes of phonemes, where a phoneme is defined as the smallest unit of speech that distinguishes one utterance from another. The three classes of phonemes are voiced, unvoiced, and plosives. Voiced phonemes are considered deterministic in nature. They … Read more
What is “sound quality”? Measurement Mania Not long ago, and presently in many circles, sound quality (“SQ”) was said to be best represented by audio systems amplifying with the lowest Total Harmonic Distortion (“THD”) measurement. Overlapping the THD focus was realization and consideration of Transient Intermodulation Distortion (“TIM”, AKA Slew-Induced Distortion “SID”), also a quantitative measurement said to … Read more
Abstract Maladaptive auditory cortex reorganization may contribute to the generation and maintenance of tinnitus. Because cortical organization can be modified by behavioral training, we attempted to reduce tinnitus loudness by exposing chronic tinnitus patients to self-chosen, enjoyable music, which was modified (“notched”) to contain no energy in the frequency range surrounding the individual tinnitus … Read more
Abstract Music has existed in human societies since prehistory, perhaps because it allows expression and regulation of emotion and evokes pleasure. In this review, we present findings from cognitive neuroscience that bear on the question of how we get from perception of sound patterns to pleasurable responses. First, we identify some of the auditory … Read more
In this livestream, we go over the various types of acoustical room treatments with resident expert Anthony Grimani. We discuss how to acoustically treat a room and where to locate treatments along with things you should NOT do. Various acoustical treatment types are discussed with this episode focusing on absorption. Diffusion, reflectors, and bass traps … Read more
Abstract The cochlea’s high sensitivity stems from the active process of outer hair cells, which possess two force-generating mechanisms: active hair-bundle motility elicited by Ca2+ influx and somatic motility mediated by the voltage-sensitive protein prestin. Although interference with prestin has demonstrated a role for somatic motility in the active process, it remains unclear whether … Read more
Abstract “…subject-specific amygdala responses to fearful music and vocalizations were correlated, consistent with the proposal that the brain circuitry involved in the processing of musical emotions might be shared with the one that have evolved for vocalizations. Overall, our results show that processing of fear expressed through music, engages some of the same brain … Read more
Practicing a musical instrument is a rich multisensory experience involving the integration of visual, auditory, and tactile inputs with motor responses. This combined psychophysics-fMRI study used the musician’s brain to investigate how sensory-motor experience molds temporal binding of auditory and visual signals. Behaviorally, musicians exhibited a narrower temporal integration window than nonmusicians for music but … Read more
You’ll learn how different mental states can be created using frequencies that interact with the brain, how the military is using this attack vector, how Vegas uses these same techniques on customers, which open source software creates these frequency generated psychic states and sites so you can continue your adventures in psychosonics. Multiple new attacks … Read more
Speaking during a magazine interview in 1971 and not long after he and his band The Rolling Stones parted ways with ‘Decca,’ the music-label/company that had launched their hit recording career, Keith Richards said, “we found out, and it wasn’t years till we did, that all the bread we made for Decca was going into … Read more